A Healthy Start

Description

A Healthy Start is an inspiring range of ways to introduce a healthy approach to food in a nursery setting, from growing your own vegetables to running cooking classes for parents.

By the age of three, children have already learned a lot about food, so just how easy is it to establish a healthy eating policy in a nursery setting? St John's Little Learners Nursery in Cambridgeshire has placed healthy eating at the heart of its ethos and uses a range of ways to promote this to children, staff and parents.

The nursery works in partnership with an environmental charity to grow their own vegetables, giving children great outdoor activities, the chance to learn about food production and taste their own produce. They also have a whole-school approach to healthy eating, giving the children consistent adult role models, so no junk food allowed in the staff room.

They work with health visitors who talk about food and run tasting sessions, and they run cooking classes for parents to help take the message back into the children's homes. This integrated approach has had a positive impact all round and is an inspiration to others who want to adopt these ideas.